Battery connector



April 7, 1 942.

s E IBBS BATTERY QONNEGTOR I Filed Dec. 15:, 1959 Y Patented Apr. 7, 1942 S E Gibbs, Corydon, Iowa Application December 13, 1939, Serial No. 309,026

1 Claim.

This invention relates to improvements in battery connections of the type having a flexible insulated conductor with suitable bodies or terminal heads at each end which are adapted to being connected to the battery terminals or posts. 1

in said head to eliminate bad contacts, and in 4 turn to eliminate heating.

A further object of myinvention is to provide be assembled before the head is cast or formed about them; I

Figure 8 illustrates how the pin, after having the head cast or formed about it, may be forced further into the head to create a perfect contact between the pin and head, the pin and conductor, or the pin, head and conductor.

My improved battery connector comprises a flexible electric conductor H] which is preferably made of twisted copper wire and provided with an insulator I I, said insulator being made preferably of yieldable material, such as rubber, havin a battery connector employing an insulated of the device whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth,

pointed out in my claim, and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 illustrates a typical design of my improved battery connector showing the supporting heads and pins in side elevation, one of the heads being shown in section to show the manner in which the conductor and pin are mounted therein;

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2--2 of Figure l;

Figure 3 shows the manner in which the conductor and insulator are placed in a head before the pin is applied, said head being in section;

Figure 4 shows one end of the electric conductor and its insulator before it is placed in the head; 1 v

Figure 5 illustrates the manner in which the end of the insulator is pushed back on the end of the conductor before the conductor is applied to the head;

Figure 6 illustrates a head in section and the modified manner in which the conductor may be applied to the head;

Figure '7 illustrates a modified form showing the manner in which the pin and conductor may ing a certain amount of elasticity, yet capable of being slipped endwise of the conductor wherein the'free end of-the insulator may be moved inwardly from the end of the conductor,-for the purpose hereinafter made clear.

The connector also includes a pair of terminal heads l2 which are preferably made of lead and each provided with a tapering hole I3, the hole 13 including a branch opening [4; I have provided for each of the heads I2 a tapered pin I'l adaptedto fit the corresponding hole l3. The heads l2 are preferably formed or cast with said holes 13 and It, after which the ends of the insulator H are pushed inwardly from its ends, as indicated inFigure 5, causing the insulation to be compressed. The exposed portion I8 of the conductor is then inserted through the opening l4 and extended into the opening [3 in the manner as illustrated in Figure 3, with the ends of the insulator within the opening Ii. The pins I! are then placed in the openings [3 and forced therein until they provide a snug fit, causing the inwardly extending portion 18 of the conductor to be wedged firmly between the pin H and body I2, thus providing means for firmly connecting the conductor [0 to the pin l1, and for firmly securing said conductor in the heads l2.

The pins I! may be easily removed from the heads, if so desired, by simply tapping the pointed ends, and the pins may be easily replaced when the exposed portions or points of the pins become pin and conductor wherein the pins are pushed through the end of the conductor which protrudes beyond its insulation before the head is formed thereon, the object being to hold the pin and conductor together and in contact with each other while the head is being cast or formed about them. Wrapping the conductor portion l9 around the pin, or any other suitable method of holding them together, can be used to accomplish the same purpose; v

Figure 8 illustrates the above modified form after they head has been cast or formed about the pin and conductors in such a position that the pin may afterwards be forced further through the head, thereby wedging the pin and conductor more securely together and in the head, thus avoiding the usual diiliculties, late referred to, 7

in forming the head of the pin; 3

In Figure 6 I have illustrated another slightly 7 modified form wherein the free end of the conductor and the adjoining end of the insulator are formed in the head at the timeth'ehead is cast, by simply inserting the free end of the conductor into the mould from which the head is cast. a

Thus, it will be seen that I have provided an improved battery-connector in which the sharpened pins may be easily and quicklyattached and detached, and when attached the pins may be firmly forced in the head so as to make. perfect contact between the pins and the head of the conductor. e p

Oneof the advantages of my device lies in the fact that the wedging action between the pin and head produces a perfect fit between thern to prevent creeping of acids between the pin and head, which often causes destructive corrosion.

A further 'advantageof my device lies in the manner in which the ends of the insulator are under compression, thereby resisting any tendency of the insulator to shrink with age or be pulled away from the head when the wire is jerked in removing or handling the connector,

thus preventing acid from reaching the con-' heating severe enough in some cases to burn the hands of the users.

My invention provides for the end of the conductor to be wedged between the pin and its supporting body tightly enough and in such firm contact with the pin that in actual usage, increased resistance at this point has not occurred. The efiiciency of the connector, therefore, remains unimpaired.

None of the prior artior devices to mycknowledge are so constructed that the'sharpened pins may be easily and quickly-removed and'new pins substituted. Heretofore, whenever the pins hecame damaged it has been necessary to::install a complete connector, while with my device it is only necessary to knock out the pins and substitute new ones,at a comparatively small cost; and, so far as I am aware, in none of these battery connectors arethe ends of'the insulator first moved inwardly from their ends to compress the body portion before inserting :the bare portion of the conductor in the head, andfixing .the same therein to permit the ends of the insulator to engage a portion of the head to form inwardly extended end of the insulator.

, of a head in which no. :socket is formed, and at minals, but so far as I am aware, no portion of the pin in the headhas been tapered. I have found by actual experience that it is impossible to cast -a pin in a head and havea perfect fit, because the lead, ordinarily used for heads in this type of connector, cools first on its outer surfaces where it contacts the mould. This tends to make the point of greatest shrinkage around the same time functionto seal the end of the insulator and the headto preventacid ,fronr reaching the conductor.

I claim as my invention: A'battery connector, comprising a pair 'of terminal heads, each having a tapered opening-between two opposite faces and a branch-opening connected therewith, an electric conductor; an insulator covering said conductor between said terminal heads, formed of flexible and compressible material contracted longitudinally, with the ends of said insulation yieldably held againstthe adjoining faces of said terminals, withthe ends of said conductor projecting through saidbranch openings andterminating in said tapered openings, .atapered pin for each of said openings wedging the ends of said conductors therein, .the ends ofsaid pins projecting laterally from their respective terminal heads, one endof each pin being, pointed.

, S E GIBBS. 

